If she wants to try it once, there’s no helping it.
It’s hard to ignore when she’s looking forward to it like that.
Teaching dance isn’t that difficult, so it wouldn’t be a bad idea to pass it on this time.
“Alright. I’ll lead you. But let’s learn the basic steps before we start.”
“Yes!”
We’ll need time for that.
It would be better to have a quick dinner.
I took Laila to where the campfire was being held.
Maybe because it hadn’t started yet, quite a few people were selling simple snacks.
After buying something to eat there and quickly gulping it down, I headed to a secluded place with Laila.
“Bringing a woman to a place like this. Oh my, how scary~”
I gave a flick to Laila’s forehead as she spoke jokingly with a grin.
There’s no time for such jokes now.
Although couples did gather in secluded places to do questionable things, it’s better to teach one more step than to watch such things.
“I’ll teach you the easiest dance steps. You’re used to using your body, right?”
“Yes.”
Perhaps she noticed I was serious?
Laila accepted it seriously while maintaining her smiling face.
I stood there and taught her the simple steps of the waltz.
It was a bit awkward at first, but Laila soon followed the steps quite well.
Hmm. As expected, not bad.
“Turn there.”
“Like thi… Whoa.”
“Oops.”
I caught Laila as she stumbled, perhaps her feet getting tangled.
She fell naturally into my arms, looked at me blankly, and then quickly got out of my embrace.
“Wow. That surprised me. You really move fast!”
“If I couldn’t do this much, I wouldn’t be able to teach Sowol. Come on, try again. One, two, three, four, two, two, three, four.”
“Like this…”
Laila danced alone, stepping in the air, then turned around and had a satisfied expression.
“Ta-da!! How is it?! Not bad, right?!”
Why is she so pleased after doing just the basics of the waltz?
“Now, let’s do it with a partner.”
I became Laila’s partner.
I held her rough hand with one hand, and wrapped my other around her slender waist.
Holding her was a bit awkward because she was much smaller than me, but this was nothing.
“This feels nice.”
“What does?”
“Leaning on someone.”
“Is that so? As I told Sowol, leaning on someone is important. A person can’t always stand straight alone.”
“It’s not easy. Finding such a person.”
“Did you think it was easy? Come on, stop saying strange things, and let’s try the steps again.”
We need to practice as much as possible.
By the time I had somehow taught Laila all the basics of the waltz, the campfire had started.
The musicians brought in for the festival began to play.
Some people started dancing an awkward waltz that looked familiar from somewhere, others a tango. And some couples just hugged and spun around.
“What is this?! They’re not dancing properly!”
She looks very indignant. To show such anger with a smiling face.
Laila, who had just received special training, cried out in disbelief, but I just patted her head.
That’s how the world is, my dear.
“This is also part of culture. The Eastern Trading Company will grow. And Sowol will grow too.”
“…..”
“You are Sowol’s acknowledged friend and subordinate. If such a person can’t dance properly, it would tarnish Sowol’s, and by extension, the Eastern Trading Company’s honor.”
“Mmm. When you put it that way, I have nothing to say.”
“You should think of this as a good experience and move on. Well, shall we go too?”
If we stay here, we won’t be able to dance properly because of all the people. We might as well use what we’ve learned.
I took Laila’s hand and led her towards the fire.
People who saw us come out started cheering and making space for us.
Well, as a new song is starting, I should set the rhythm, right?
“Let’s begin.”
“Yes!”
I held Laila’s hand and took a big step.
At first, she stumbled and stepped on my feet a few times, but Laila gradually got used to the music and followed my steps quite well.
“Wow… This is fun when we dance like this.”
“Try dancing enthusiastically later. Someone like you will have many people asking to be your partner.”
It’s just because you’ve cut your hair short now, but when you grow it out later, you’ll become quite pretty.
By then, men will be lining up.
“Hehe. Now that I’ve danced once, I’m not really interested.”
“Really? Well, then maybe you can be Sowol’s partner.”
“If it’s for that, I guess I have no choice. I should learn to dance properly. Can’t you keep teaching me, Master Lee?”
“I’m busy.”
“Aw~ You always look free except when you’re teaching the young miss. Please teach me when you have time.”
Free, indeed.
I have my own things to do here and there.
I held Laila’s waist tighter.
Only then did she close her mouth and lower her head.
“We’re going a bit faster.”
“…Yes.”
As expected, holding her waist tightly was effective.
Looking down at Laila, whose voice had become smaller, I smiled once and continued to dance faster to the music.
Now that we’ve finished dancing, there was nothing left to do.
Some people asked me and Laila for another dance, but I didn’t particularly want to dance anymore.
“Are you going to stay and enjoy more?”
“No. I’m thinking of heading back soon too.”
It’s quite late.
I need to sleep well tonight to wake up early tomorrow.
Neither Laila nor I wanted to stay longer, so we returned to the Eastern Trading Company.
“Then I’ll see you tomorrow again.”
“Alright. Sleep well.”
“Hehe. I think I’ll have good dreams.”
I escorted Laila to the front of her room.
Saying it was her first time being escorted, Laila didn’t refuse and went inside after smiling happily and greeting me.
It was a long day.
I should go to sleep too. As I turned my steps and arrived at my quarters, I saw Sowol swinging her sword in the moonlight.
“You were here?”
“You’re late, aren’t you?”
Why is she pouting?
I wasn’t sure what she was displeased about, but Sowol, who seemed openly sulky, started to look at me with sharp eyes.
“Did you have fun with Laila?”
“What fun?”
I was just keeping a promise.
I sat down and gestured to Sowol.
“Do it again.”
“…Yes.”
With a sulky expression, Sowol swung her sword again.
Moonlight Technique and Moonlight Flash. Sowol, dancing with the sword using only these two forms, lowered her hand.
“Your movements are awkward, right? That’s because you haven’t learned the third form yet. You’ll become more familiar with sword dancing after learning the third form, Moonlight Dance.”
“When can I learn that?”
“At your current level, you should be able to learn it soon.”
Sowol’s talent is real.
If we’re just talking about talent, she probably wouldn’t lose to the protagonists of Ragnarok.
She absorbs what I teach like a sponge absorbs water and even applies it, so she’ll probably be able to master the entire Moonlight Sword technique very soon.
“…Then it’s okay if I learn a bit slowly, right?”
“Huh? Why?”
“Just because. I want to learn other things too.”
Other things, huh.
I don’t really have much else to teach though.
Should I teach her some sayings of the ancient sages?
“I want to learn to dance too. I heard you taught Laila how to dance?”
“How did you hear about that?”
Sowol should have been at the lord’s castle at that time, right?
“Everyone knows about it? They say you two happily danced hand in hand in a very secluded place.”
Rumors spread fast. It’s not like I was trying to hide it though.
“Wouldn’t there be many people who could teach dance better than me?”
Sowol is the successor of the Eastern Trading Company, a huge trading company.
This means she’ll have many occasions to mingle with noble families in the future.
It’s natural that she’ll enter high society during that process, and to avoid embarrassment, she’ll need to learn to dance properly.
Of course, I can teach her to dance, but I’d probably fall short compared to professional teachers.
As such, wouldn’t it be better for her to learn from them separately…
“I want to learn from you, Master.”
“If that’s the case, I have no choice. I’ll teach you now.”
“What? Now?”
“With my knowledge, you should be able to pick it up right away.”
I grabbed the surprised Sowol and led her.
There’s no music, but the sound of insects and the wind will do.
“Su-suddenly, this is a bit…”
“What are you saying? You asked me to teach you. You know the basic steps, right?”
I heard from So Jung-yang while drinking before that among the teachers who came before me, there was one who taught things like dance.
Of course, I heard they left after teaching for only a few days.
But with Sowol’s talent, she should be able to do the basics just from roughly hearing about it.
“Huh? Yes.”
That’s more like it.
“Then follow me.”
I took Sowol’s small hand and placed my hand on her slender waist. Sowol, who had been flustered and at a loss until just now, finally stiffened.
“Come a bit closer.”
“L-like this?”
“Yes.”
I put strength into holding Sowol’s hand. Her small frame fits snugly into my arms.
A nice fragrance tickles my nose.
Did she put on perfume?
“Let’s go. One. Two. Three. Four.”
“Ugh…”
Even while letting out small groans, Sowol quickly followed my steps. Huh?
At this rate, there’s almost nothing left to teach?
“I wish time would stop like this…”
Why are you saying such troublesome things?